Cover crops are an important part of most no-till soil conservation systems, but they must to be managed correctly to fully realize their potential benefits. Among other things, these benefits include a reduction in soil erosion and the suppression of weed pressure.
At the end of a selected cover crop-growing cycle, the cover crops are terminated so that a selected newly planted crop can emerge and thrive. Termination of the cover crop allows the new selected crops to fully benefit from the soil conditioning properties of the terminated cover crops without competing with the cover crops for water and nutrients.
In the past, herbicides were the preferred means of terminating cover crops,  primarily because the herbicide application process is relatively fast and effective. Although herbicide application effectively kills the cover crops, there may be problems associated with unintended over-spray, spray drift, and undesirable chemical run-off. The herbicides also leave the cover crop stalks in tact. The stalks and associated crop residue subsequently interfere with the planting process associated with the new crops, particularly for cover crops (such as rye) that generate a large amount of biomass. Further, the use of herbicides is prohibited for farmers that intend to market their corps as “organically grown”.
Rolling and crimping devices have been developed to destroy and mulch the cover crops and thereby address these issues. These devices generally require large conventional tractors to tow the rollers and/or crimpers across the cover crops. However, these large tractors are not practical for small-scale organic framers (particularly vegetable farmers) who could benefit from the use of no-till soil conservation practices.
The need exists for a roller/crimper system compatible with smaller scale organic farming operations. The current invention provides a rolling and crimping device that is designed to work with the small, inexpensive walk-behind garden tractors that are popular with small-scale organic farmers.